Flesh Eating Ferns
by forty-two and a tree
Summary: Yuusuke's having a rough time... and Hiei is helping him? Whats going on here? May contain slash later. Summary help would be appreciated!
1. To Talk

**Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho is not mine. At least, not until I get my law degree… ;)**

To Talk

Hiei awoke with a start, immediately dropping into a crouch, despite having fallen asleep on one of the slim branches of a rather tall demonic tree. At his movement, several nearby branches full of vaguely unsettling-looking red-edged leaves moved threateningly towards him, but a fist-sized fireball quickly deterred them. Having taken care of the immediate problem, the short demon turned his attention to the noise that had woken him up, every sense searching for potential threats. Scanning the floor of the forest he was in, he speedily pinpointed the source of the disturbance.

Upon spotting his target, the demon almost fell from his perch in shock. Amongst the flesh-nibbling ferns and bloodthirsty trees, Urameshi Yuusuke walked, smoking a cigarette. As if it weren't odd enough that he was in the Demon World, the teen didn't seem to be looking for a fight, or even some fun. He completely missed the way various parts of assorted plants reached towards him hungrily, and instead, seemed to have turned his sights inward, oblivious to the few cuts already adorning his ankles. To complete the unnatural image, the young demon's youki was thick with uncertainty and slightly tainted with fear.

Hiei's crimson eyes narrowed. Obviously, something very disturbing had happened, if Yuusuke was walking alone through a demonic forest and completely absorbed in _thinking_. While it wasn't odd for the detective to plan courses of action and ponder little things, it was most definitely not normal for him to purposely distance himself from his friends, and even weirder for him to be in the Demon World of his without some purpose or task at hand.

Just as the fire demon started to ponder leaving the former human to his own devices, he saw one of the ferns reaching out to take a chunk of Yuusuke's leg. He was reminded of his internal promise to make sure only he beat the detective, and the danger the stupid plant was posing to it. Letting loose an almost nonexistent sigh, he vanished. Almost instantaneously, he reappeared beside the younger demon. Behind them, half of the fern collapsed onto the ground, quickly joined by a good chunk of the detective's cigarette.

Upon realizing that the thing dangling between his lips was now incapable of harming his health, Yuusuke tossed the rest of the offending item away before glaring at the intruder. Unfazed, Hiei glared right back, silently reminding the teen of his promise to Keiko to stop smoking. Upon realizing this, the detective looked back at the ground, his face becoming pensive again. For Hiei, this was cause for even more concern, considering that the teen usually disregarded rules and regulations.

The shorter demon frowned. He was not some kind of psychologist! But the point seemed to be moot: loath as he was to admit it, Yuusuke needed help, and the jaganshi was the only one around to give it to him, as much as he disliked the idea. Even he knew that the best way to help oneself was to tell one's problems to another (trusted) individual. He walked beside the boy, hoping that he would take the cue and open up. However, after some time, he grudgingly admitted that he was going to have to actually do something to make the detective talk. Resolutely, he stepped in front of the other demon, causing the detective to almost bump into him. Hiei glared at the younger demon until he came out of thought and they locked gazes.

"Something is wrong." He stated accusingly, keeping his penetrating stare of Yuusuke. "Talk. Now."

Of course, it couldn't be that easy. Yuusuke simply glared at him again and tried to pass him, but Hiei would not allow that, cutting off the detective every time he tried. Realizing that that wouldn't work, Yuusuke tried to talk his way out of the situation.

"Nothing is wrong, Hiei, so get out of my way." The fire demon just shot him a disbelieving and slightly scornful look, and shook his head negatively.

Seeing that that wasn't working, the taller demon tried a different tactic, grinning mockingly and cooing "Why Hiei, I didn't know you cared!" in a sugary sweet voice. Still, the other demon glared at him, waiting.

Failing in that simply aggravated Yuusuke. "Get out of my way Hiei!" He yelled, giving up on talking his way out and just throwing a punch at his teammate, hoping that the shorter demon would back off.

Hiei, not particularly wanting a fight, simply caught Yuusuke's fist in one hand. Predictably, Yuusuke swung the other fist, which he caught too. Knowing that this would turn ugly quickly, the fire demon decided to end it swiftly, sweeping the other demon's legs out from under him so that he fell onto his back and Hiei fell on top of him, sitting on his legs and pinning his hands to the ground. Again he waited, glaring as the other demon stubbornly persisted in trying to get free.

When Yuusuke finally figured out that he wasn't getting away anytime soon (which meant after he didn't escape after fifteen minutes of furious struggling), he slumped to the ground, panting and glaring some very pointy daggers at the demon restraining him.

"Fine!" he snapped "Keiko believes that I should get the demon world sealed up –with all demons in it– permanently! Happy now?"

Hiei's eyes widened as he stared down at the detective, dazedly restraining the younger demon as he started struggling again. The boy's girlfriend wanted to separate the worlds forever? Surely she realized that that would destroy the demon world, with weaker demons being preyed upon by stronger ones as they slowly starved. And what about the demon underneath him? Would she forsake her boyfriend just because of a prejudice?

Quickly, he snapped himself out of his thoughts and focused on his teammate. "Explain."

Yuusuke, frustrated about his inability to do anything, simply stuck his tongue out at the fire demon, refusing to answer. Hiei frowned at the detective, slowly twisting his wrist in warning.

They sat this way, battling wills, for about ten minutes, before Yuusuke decided that if he didn't speak, his wrist would be broken, and that would be a major pain in the rear to fix.

Scowling, he barked out "Stop! I'll tell!" Hiei stopped twisting his wrist but continued to restrain him, obviously waiting until after the story was done to release him. Yuusuke, sensing this, continued reluctantly. "It was just one of those little troublemakers again- you know, an imp. Well, he possessed one of the guys from our rival school and tried to kidnap her to get to me. Obviously, I stopped him easily, but she was so angry upon realizing who the culprit was, and she ranted at me about how disgusting demons were for half an hour before she came up with that idea. And now she actually wants to implement it! She's nagging me to see Koenma and seal up the Demon World forever!" Yuusuke was the one ranting now. "I've told her that I'm a demon before, but she doesn't seem to want to accept that! She still clings to her belief that I'm human, and can live in the human world forever but I can't! I'm a demon, too, and I this world is just as much my home as the human world is! …I can see why you didn't want to leave." During the last sentence, he seemed to remember his situation again, and looked directly at Hiei.

Hiei released the taller demon and sat, crossing his legs, but he as he let go, he squeezed the detective's left wrist, silently telling the other demon that he wasn't done yet. Yuusuke reluctantly sat down beside the fire demon, and they rested there in silence for a while, contemplating the problem at hand. Abruptly, Hiei spoke: "Why do you stay with that girl, if she persists in believing such stupid notions?" For once, the jaganshi did not sound (overly) scornful or hateful; instead his question reflected uncharacteristic curiosity.

Yuusuke blinked, but answered: "Well, she's been my friend forever, even when I didn't want her around, and, um, she brought me back to life, and I love her… I think." Hiei blinked now, but didn't interrupt, so Yuusuke went on. "I mean, we've known each other since we were little kids, and we do things for each other all the time, and I don't know, its just like… I've never really though of the future much, but everyone always says we're going to marry and have kids and all that great stuff. Or they did, anyway, until all this spirit stuff happened. Now, we barely see each other, and when we do, she just bothers me. I feel like I don't really know her anymore. I'm confused, but I think… I don't love her like I used to."

Hiei was stunned for the second time that day. He hadn't known that the younger demon could put such deep thought into something. It was like he was seeing a whole new side of the detective- and he suspected he was. For the first time, Hiei realized that Urameshi Yuusuke may not be just a stupid punk; he could also be an intelligent, even deep, person- who hid his true self, if his normal behavior was any indication. He had always wondered how a mere street-fighter could be a detective, as well as show such tremendous loyalty, to both friends and strangers. The fire demon was amazed, and also a bit surprised. As far as he knew, Yuusuke had only shown this facet of his character to Hiei, and this gave the short demon a strange feeling, like a warmth in his chest, that was totally unrelated to his fire-powers.

Brushing aside the feeling temporarily, Hiei studied his companion. Then, an question struck him: "Why did you not tell her what you think about her idea?"

The detective boggled at him. "Haven't you been paying attention all this time? If I say anything she doesn't agree with, she hits me, yells at me, or both!"

Hiei had been paying attention, but he did not approve. "So you let her do as she likes?"

Yuusuke's eyes widened as he realized what his companion was implicating. "Well, not when it's important…" The fire demon nodded, and Yuusuke got the point, though he paled a little at the thought. "I suppose I should tell her, then." Again, Hiei nodded.

Sensing that their conversation had concluded, the detective stood up while the fire demon looked on, making no move to stop him. Yuusuke turned towards his companion, opening his mouth as if to thank him, before blurting: "Would you come with me?" Immediately, his eyes widened, and he opened his mouth again, probably to apologize, but Hiei cut him off with a sharp nod, surprising even himself. However, he would not take it back, so he simply stood. The detective's eyes grew even larger, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. Silently, they walked back to the human world, side-by-side.

_A/N: Hi everybody! Thank you for reading my story! Questions and comments are encouraged- I want to know about any improvements that I can make, especially since this is my first story. Flames will be used to roast the fly that is annoying me. I hope you enjoy my story!_


	2. To Declare

**Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho is not mine. But I am having a cookie fundraiser to change that! Buy a cookie for a good cause! ;)**

To Declare

To say Keiko was furious at seeing Yuusuke come back with a demon would be a large understatement. Add that to the fact that said demon has once tried to turn her into a demon also and control her, as well as dispatch Yuusuke, and, it would suffice to say that she looked ready to kill the detective- again.

"Yuusuke," she hissed, "would you come over here for a second?" She indicated an area a bit off the road they were standing on, out of Hiei's earshot.

The demon in question gulped fearfully, but a quick glance at the jaganshi by his side steadied him somewhat. "Why can't we talk here?"

Somehow, the girl managed to look even more murderous. Hiei allowed himself a small smirk: it seemed this was the first time the detective had stood up to her when she was like this, and it felt good to be at least partially the cause of it.

At the hint of the fire demon's amusement, something in Keiko seemed to snap, and she flew at Yuusuke, apparently determined to beat him into submission, if the hand flying toward his cheek was any indication. But the detective, after another quick glance at the solid presence beside him, simply caught her wrist mid-flight. The girl froze in shock and Hiei smirked again. He had never approved of her maltreatment of the detective, and he felt very smug over having helped the other demon to put her in place.

"Keiko," Yuusuke said softly, but firmly, "not all demons are bad. Despite what he may have done in the past, Hiei is my friend now." Here the fire demon's eyes widened- he hadn't though the detective considered him anything more than an acquaintance, and he was amazed at the speed that his previous actions were discarded. However, he stayed silent and Yuusuke went on: "And Keiko, you keep forgetting that _I'm_ a demon. Looking and acting like a human won't change that. Taking away the demon world would entail taking away my friends, and it would feel like a part of me was ripped out. I can't do that, Keiko."

With that, Yuusuke let go of her hand. It fell limply to her side as the girl just stared at him, stunned. It was only when the detective glanced at Hiei worriedly that she returned to reality, then promptly burst into tears. "I- I can't believe you would choose that- that _abomination_ over me!" She turned to storm off, but stopped abruptly when the detective materialized in front of her, incensed.

"When I said he was my friend, I meant it!" He thundered. "_No one_ insults my friends. Apologize."

Hiei walked unconcernedly around the girl to retake his place at the detective's side. He took the short time to wonder at the detective's actions. It was a novel experience for him to have what was left of his honor defended by someone other than himself. Although he'd just heard Yuusuke declare him his friend, the fire demon was still surprised by the other demon's actions, though he realized belatedly that he should have expected it, considering the other outrageous acts of loyalty he'd seen from the detective. Still, he felt that funny warm feeling in his chest again, though he quickly dismissed it in lieu of observing the situation in front of him.

The girl's eyes darted from side to side, evaluating the situation developing. Upon finding no escape, she reluctantly looked at the demons in front of her. "Sorry," she choked out, before turning and running in the opposite direction, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Hiei turned to study the detective, wondering if he would have a lost look, similar to the one he'd worn when he'd though Kuwabara died, or when he'd come into the forest earlier. Surprisingly, Yuusuke looked satisfied, and a little relieved, like a weight had been taken off his chest.

"Well," the taller demon said after a few seconds, "that was liberating. But now its dinnertime! C'mon!"

Again, the jaganshi was surprised at Yuusuke's actions. He'd just helped the guy chase away his childhood friend and he's invited to dinner? Nevermind that he's a silent, vaguely hostile, and generally not nice demon… weird. Nonetheless, he followed the detective home.

_A/N: Another chapter- yay! Only one person reviewed the first one (thanks kit-kit) so I'm not really sure if anyone will appreciate another one, but I'll put it up anyway. Sorry, it's a bit short, but oh well. Hope you enjoy!_


	3. Reader Alert and Resolution

Dear Readers,

Okay, first, I apologize to everybody who wants an update. However, I wrote this to find out if more than three people care about what the heck happens to this story. If less than five people care, I am sorry to say that I will be putting this on hiatus, maybe even discontinuing it, because not enough people care and I'm working on another story that is much more interesting, thought out, and challenging than this one. So… I think that about sums it up. Review or PM me if you want this story to continue. Thanks,

~Tree =)

_P.S.- For all of you who like Harry Potter and/or Full Metal Alchemist, if you want to beta-read my new story, I'd much appreciate help and ideas._

**05/24/09 Resolved**

**Dear Readers,**

**I sincerely apologize to everyone who enjoys this story and wishes it to be continued. However, I find myself unable to continue it. Only three people replied to my plea (see above). Now, to get a few things straight, I really, really want to continue this story. As one of the three who replied stated, there are very few YuusukexHiei stories, which is why I was writing one. However, I now have three very insistent plot bunnies destroying my head from the inside, all of them better thought out and easier to write. This, combined with the inadequate response I have received, renders me unable to complete this story now. IF MORE PEOPLE REPLY, I COULD CHANGE MY MIND. But, as of today, this story is officially on hiatus. Again, I sincerely apologize to everyone who liked it.**

**~Tree =(**


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